Dylan Mulvaney Speaks Out Against Bud Light for Lack of Support

Dylan Mulvaney, a trans influencer who was sponsored by Bud Light for two Instagram posts, is speaking out after receiving hate mail and threats while reportedly receiving no support from the beer company. The sponsorship garnered a mass anti-trans response and calls for a boycott which has decimated Bud Light’s sales since Mulvaney’s April 1 post.

“What I’m about to tell you might sound like old news,” Mulvaney said in a video addressing the Bud Light sponsorship posted to Instagram on Thursday. She continued: “But you know that feeling when you have something uncomfy sitting on your chest? Well, that’s how I feel right now.”

She told her viewers that she took a brand deal “with a company that I loved,” but after the backlash the sponsorship received, she needed to speak out in response to the lack of support she received from the brewing company.

“For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse in my opinion than not hiring a trans person at all, because it gives customers permission to be as transphobic and hateful as they want,” Mulvaney said in the video. “And the hate doesn’t end with me, it has serious and grave consequences for the rest of our community,” she added.

Brendan Whitworth, the CEO of Anheuser-Busch, told CBS News on Wednesday that “Bud Light has supported LGBTQ since 1998, so that’s 25 years, and as we’ve said from the beginning we’ll continue to support the communities and organizations that we’ve supported for decades.”

The influencer said that, since the backlash against her started, she has “been scared to leave [her] house” after being followed and publicly ridiculed, and said she has received no support from Bud Light or its parent company, Anheuser-Busch, which organized the sponsorship. Mulvaney called on Bud Light and other companies to stand with the LGBTQ+ community and work with trans and queer influencers, while continuing to support them throughout the partnership.

Since its collaboration with Mulvaney, Bud Light’s sales dropped by 23% last month compared to the same period in 2022, removing the company from its number one spot as the nation’s best-selling beer. Its decision to work with Mulvaney was met with outrage among conservatives, including singers Kid Rock and Travis Tritt, who publicly called for the nation to boycott Bud Light.

“I think the conversation surrounding Bud Light has moved away from beer, and the conversation has become divisive, and Bud Light really does not belong there, Bud Light should be about bringing people together,” Whitworth told CBS.

Mulvaney appeared to address Whitworth’s statement, saying in her video: “Supporting trans people, it shouldn’t be political.” She continued, “There should be nothing controversial or divisive about working with us, and I know it’s possible because I’ve worked with some fantastic companies who care. But caring about the LGBTQ+ community requires a lot more than just a donation somewhere during Pride month.”

Anheuser-Busch did not immediately respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment, but a company spokesperson told CNN: “We remain committed to the programs and partnerships we have forged over decades with organizations across a number of communities, including those in the LGBTQ+ community. The privacy and safety of our employees and our partners is always our top priority. As we move forward, we will focus on what we do best — brewing great beer for everyone and earning our place in moments that matter to our consumers.”

Dylan Mulvaney, a trans influencer who was sponsored by Bud Light for two Instagram posts, is speaking out after receiving hate mail and threats while reportedly receiving no support from the beer company. The sponsorship garnered a mass anti-trans response and calls for a boycott which has decimated Bud Light’s sales since Mulvaney’s April 1 post.

“What I’m about to tell you might sound like old news,” Mulvaney said in a video addressing the Bud Light sponsorship posted to Instagram on Thursday. She continued: “But you know that feeling when you have something uncomfy sitting on your chest? Well, that’s how I feel right now.”

She told her viewers that she took a brand deal “with a company that I loved,” but after the backlash the sponsorship received, she needed to speak out in response to the lack of support she received from the brewing company.

“For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse in my opinion than not hiring a trans person at all, because it gives customers permission to be as transphobic and hateful as they want,” Mulvaney said in the video. “And the hate doesn’t end with me, it has serious and grave consequences for the rest of our community,” she added.

Brendan Whitworth, the CEO of Anheuser-Busch, told CBS News on Wednesday that “Bud Light has supported LGBTQ since 1998, so that’s 25 years, and as we’ve said from the beginning we’ll continue to support the communities and organizations that we’ve supported for decades.”

The influencer said that, since the backlash against her started, she has “been scared to leave [her] house” after being followed and publicly ridiculed, and said she has received no support from Bud Light or its parent company, Anheuser-Busch, which organized the sponsorship. Mulvaney called on Bud Light and other companies to stand with the LGBTQ+ community and work with trans and queer influencers, while continuing to support them throughout the partnership.

Since its collaboration with Mulvaney, Bud Light’s sales dropped by 23% last month compared to the same period in 2022, removing the company from its number one spot as the nation’s best-selling beer. Its decision to work with Mulvaney was met with outrage among conservatives, including singers Kid Rock and Travis Tritt, who publicly called for the nation to boycott Bud Light.

“I think the conversation surrounding Bud Light has moved away from beer, and the conversation has become divisive, and Bud Light really does not belong there, Bud Light should be about bringing people together,” Whitworth told CBS.

Mulvaney appeared to address Whitworth’s statement, saying in her video: “Supporting trans people, it shouldn’t be political.” She continued, “There should be nothing controversial or divisive about working with us, and I know it’s possible because I’ve worked with some fantastic companies who care. But caring about the LGBTQ+ community requires a lot more than just a donation somewhere during Pride month.”

Anheuser-Busch did not immediately respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment, but a company spokesperson told CNN: “We remain committed to the programs and partnerships we have forged over decades with organizations across a number of communities, including those in the LGBTQ+ community. The privacy and safety of our employees and our partners is always our top priority. As we move forward, we will focus on what we do best — brewing great beer for everyone and earning our place in moments that matter to our consumers.”